Hôtel Le Charron, a private mansion in the 4th arrondissement of Paris
Hôtel Le Charron is a 17th-century private mansion on the Ile Saint-Louis situated at 13-15 quai de Bourbon on the northern bank. Built between 1637 and 1640 by architect Sébastien Bruand for Jean Charron, a French finance official, the structure displays stone walls and simple windows that reflect the architectural style of that period.
The house was designed by architect Sébastien Bruand between 1637 and 1640 as a private residence for a French finance official. In the early 20th century, from 1912 onwards, it became the workshop of Belgian sculptor Yvonne Serruys and her French husband Pierre Mille, transforming it into a center for artistic work.
The name comes from Jean Charron, intendant des Finances, who commissioned the mansion; it does not refer to a cart-maker. From 1912 the building housed the studio of Belgian sculptor Yvonne Serruys and her husband, the writer Pierre Mille, and the painter Émile Bernard died there in 1941.
The mansion sits on Ile Saint-Louis, a quiet island on the Seine that is easily walkable and near other historic sites. Since it is private property, it is not open for daily visits, but the facade offers a pleasant view from the street.
The building was restored in 1979 and 1980 under the promoter Ladislas de Diesbach and the architect Laurent Daum. The volcanologist Haroun Tazieff lived here until his death, and the painter Émile Bernard died in the house in 1941. Look for the small white plaque reading "15" beside the dark red doors.
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